How Dirty Is Your Data?

Posted: May 24th, 2011 by Suzanne Stock 0

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Squeaky clean, accurate and pristine data is the bedrock of any business to business marketing campaign. It doesn’t matter how articulate, charming and persuasive your telemarketer is if, when they pick up the phone to introduce a new service to one of your clients, they address them with the wrong name. The fault is laid squarely at the door of your database because the information it yielded was inaccurate.

And what about your targeted direct mail campaigns? You went to great lengths to compose a sterling message; you added all manner of relevant sparkle to the package to ensure it would arouse curiosity. At the last hurdle it crashed. Mr David Jones, Managing Director had somehow morphed into Mr David James, Managing Director. Magic moment over, your missive becomes a source that evokes irritation.

The reality is that too many businesses pay insufficient attention to the data they hold on warm prospects, existing clients and lapsed ones until it becomes evident that all is not well. Individual records are updated on an adhoc basis usually when the complaints are coming in thick and fast from disgruntled customers and warm prospects that have turned distinctly chilly.

This is no way to win the hearts and minds of clients and prospects. Your data needs cleaning before you begin any marketing campaigns – online and off-line. It’s not that onerous – although truth be told it can be time-consuming, especially if you are embarking on an intensive database clean (think Kim and Aggie) as opposed to a regular clean. It usually involves a telephone and a patient and professional member of your team. And whilst you’re at it put in a call to us because we really can help you here!

Clean data pays for itself in spades.

• It underpins the good reputation of your brand. To quote Philip Kotler from his superb book B2B Brand Management, “Brand reality is defined from the customer’s view.
• It puts you in pole position to bag that sale, to move a prospect along the selling continuum. If you’re not alienating them from the very first contact you’re in with a chance.
• You can make decisions about who to target and how, with confidence. Segmenting your customer base by their buying habits, loyalty and status is marketing commonsense but it only works when your decisions are based on up-to-date and accurate records.

There’s plenty more up our sleeves on this subject… we’ve only just scratched the surface.